Family Activities With a Parkinson's Disease Patient

It's not unusual for a person with Parkinson's disease to withdraw from social activity over time. But to help your loved one stay emotionally well, it's important to encourage time for a little family fun.

Related

It's easy for a person with Parkinson's disease to become withdrawn from everyone, even the people she feels closest to. The person might become easily embarrassed by her lack of motor control, which causes her to drop food and objects. Or she may grow tired of saying yes, I get what you're saying, while her facial rigidity doesn't allow her to express this non-verbally. She also could become frustrated that she can no longer do the things she once enjoyed with the rest of the family.

But it's important for family members of a Parkinson's disease patient to break through these barriers. Helping your loved one maintain relationships with the people in her life can help fight off feelings of depression and isolation, and also allow other relatives to enjoy time with a still-valued member of the family.

Here are some ideas for activities that family members can enjoy with a loved one who has Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson’s Disease: Take Walks

Exercise is an important part of treatment for Parkinson's disease, allowing patients to retain some of their mobility. Walking also gets patients out in the world, giving them a chance to socialize with neighbors. And the exercise is good for everyone else in the family, too.

"We encourage activities that involve walking," says Linda Pituch, a patient services manager for the Parkinson's Disease Foundation. "It's a good activity, a good way of getting out of the house and into the neighborhood."

Families should be careful not to cause their loved one to overdo it, however, and to plan for rest breaks along the way.

"They might want to choose activities that allow them a lot of flexibility to leave or stop if they need to," Pituch says. "If they're going for a walk, they need to be able to stop and rest, and not feel that they have to be someplace by a certain time. Let the person with Parkinson's go at their own pace."

Parkinson’s Disease: Playing Games

Games can help foster family interaction, and keep the mind of a Parkinson's disease patient sharp. Family members can step in and help the patient by shuffling and dealing cards for her, or moving game pieces on a board game. They also can make the patient feel more at ease by letting her that know it doesn't matter if her hands shake while she holds her cards or takes her turn.

The electronic age has made family game-playing even more enjoyable for people with Parkinson's disease. For instance, with the advent of the Nintendo Wii, game controllers don't require fine motor skills to operate, responding instead to arm swings and other sorts of movement. Those movements can provide exercise and enjoyment for your loved one. Wii employs interactive play that the whole family can get involved in, Pituch says. "It incorporates the technology kids like with something adults can do and benefit from."

Parkinson’s Disease: Other Activities That Can Help

Here are some other ways to get your loved one with Parkinson's involved in family time again:

Volunteering. Pituch says senior centers often feature volunteer projects designed for people with limited mobility, such as stuffing pillows. Helping others can make the whole family feel good, and can also help the Parkinson's patient to remain socially active.

Singing. Singing with the family is fun, but there are health benefits to be had there, too. "It has a dual function," Pituch says. "Sometimes singing helps exercise vocal cords, which helps with the patient’s speaking and swallowing." The family might want to invest in a Karaoke machine, or ask a member of the household who can play the guitar or piano to help out with a singalong.

Reading. If your loved one was a reader, the loss of this activity might be very hard on her: Parkinson's disease patients have a hard time reading. They fumble with flipping pages, or can't hold a book or magazine still enough to gain any enjoyment.

The family can help the patient to enjoy reading again by reading to her or by making it a group activity. The whole family can gather around for a reading hour, or one family member might sit and read an article to the patient. Another option is books on tape or on an mp3 player.

Going to church. "Getting involved in the spiritual community can be very rewarding to a Parkinson's patient," Pituch says. Not only does the patient get out of the house and interact with the outside world, as well as with her family, she may also find emotional relief from her concerns about the disease.

The family might also like to take the patient to bake sales, a garage sale, or other community activities. Be creative about getting your loved one involved in the world again — she and your family as a whole will benefit from your efforts.

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

Advertising Notice

This Site and third parties who place advertisements on this Site may collect and use information about
your visits to this Site and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of
interest to you. If you would like to obtain more information about these advertising practices and to make
choices about online behavioral advertising, please click here.